A team of volunteer nurses from around the world are the recipients of the 2026 Mercy Ships DAISY Team Award, a collaboration between international charity Mercy Ships and the DAISY Foundation™. The team serves on board the Global Mercy™ hospital ship currently docked in Sierra Leone, West Africa and are being recognized for their dedication to mentoring and training local nurses, with a focus on strengthening the local healthcare system.
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Pictured Left to Right: Zoey Przekurat, Johan Heuver, Ayla Lopez, Matthew Murray (Global Mercy Managing Director), Hilary Thuring, Stephen Momanyi, and Suzanne Thomas accepting on behalf of Katie Henderson.
An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has partnered with nations in Africa for the past three decades, delivering surgery to those that have little access to safe medical care. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships’ nurse mentorship program shapes more than just the skills of local healthcare workers; it supports the medical infrastructure to lead to better outcomes and have a lasting impact.
The DAISY Team Award honors collaboration by a nurse-led team that goes above and beyond the traditional role of nursing. As part of Mercy Ships education & training program in Sierra Leone, these volunteer nurses serve as seasoned mentors to local healthcare workers. They work diligently to introduce structured nursing protocols, tools, and valuable skills to help program participants recognize when patients need elevated levels of care and better equip them for patient care long after their mentorship ends.
The team being honored includes the following nurses: Katie Henderson (Scotland), Ayla Lopez (Australia), Zoey Przekurat (Pennsylvania, United States), Johan Heuver (Netherlands), Hilary Thuring (United Kingdom) and Stephen Momanyi (Kenya).
“This team represents the true mission of volunteering with Mercy Ships,” said Tami Honnen, Director of Nursing for Mercy Ships. “Their commitment to mentoring nurses in Africa through training and education helps local nurses learn from experience, as we work as partners to change lives.”
“This international team is truly special and so deserving of the DAISY recognition by Mercy Ships,” said Bonnie Barnes, co-founder of the DAISY Foundation. “We are deeply proud that Mercy Ships has chosen The DAISY Award to express gratitude to their extraordinary teams who care for such vulnerable patients and families.”
About Mercy Ships:
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteers from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit mercyships.org and follow @MercyShips on social media.
About the DAISY Foundation:
The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving the nursing profession through recognition programs as well as grants for nursing research, evidence-based practice, medical missions, and continuing education. The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 in memory of the extraordinary nursing care provided to J. Patrick Barnes during his eight week hospitalization for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an auto-immune disease. His family’s drive to say “thank you” to nurses for the compassionate and skillful care they provide daily has evolved to play a strategic role in healthcare organizations by providing unique, meaningful, and impactful recognition that benefits nurses and their work organizations. Today, more than 7,900 healthcare facilities and nursing schools are committed to honoring nurses in 46 countries.
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